The Vermont Community Foundation, in partnership with some of its fundholders, awarded a total of $57,435 in Small and Inspiring Grants to 29 organizations for local projects in communities across the state this spring. One of a number of competitive grant rounds at the Community Foundation, the Small and Inspiring Grants program funds work that helps connect people to their neighbors, their land, and their history in ways that strengthen community.
“Sometimes a small project that doesn’t require a lot of funding can make a really big difference in bringing a community together,” said Jen Peterson, vice president for program and grants. “The stories we hear back from the organizations working on these small projects never fail to remind us of the tremendous potential of our communities and the ripple of connections and wellbeing that one project can have.”
Locally, four projects in Windsor County recently received funding:
Black River Action Team in Springfield received $2,500 to support Neighborhood Stormwater Runoff Outreach and Mitigation, a program that educates homeowners about the benefits of capturing and slowing storm water runoff, through targeted outreach and technical assistance.
Muckross Environmental Education and Outdoor Recreation Day Camp in Springfield received $2,500 to support a day camp providing a safe, natural environment where any child, regardless of economic or social circumstance, can experience hands-on environmental education and outdoor recreation.
Norwich Historical Society received $1,500 to support a series of educational programs exploring personal, family, and town history to facilitate deeper connections to community among a population that has a high degree of transiency.
Zack’s Place in Woodstock, which programs enrichment activities for those with special needs, received $2,500 to support a collaboration with the Thompson Senior Center to write, choreograph, and perform a community musical production at the local high school auditorium.
Nonprofits interested in applying for future Small and Inspiring Grant can visit vermontcf.org/SmallandInspiring. There are two remaining rounds in 2015, with deadlines on Oct. 1 and Dec. 1.
The Vermont Community Foundation is a family of hundreds of funds and foundations established by Vermonters to serve their charitable goals. It provides the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise to make giving easy and effective. The Foundation also provides leadership in giving by responding to community needs, mobilizing and connecting philanthropists to multiply their impact, and by keeping Vermont’s nonprofit sector vital with grants and other investments in the community. For more information visit www.vermontcf.org.
